Qatar’s PM will meet Iranian officials to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions in the region, foreign ministry says.
We have more from Christian Saunders, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saunders pushed back against Israeli claims regarding the seized Qalandiya Training Centre, after authorities alleged the property was owned by the Jewish National Fund and allocated to the Jerusalem Municipality for a planned complex, citing October 2024 legislation restricting UNRWA’s activities.
UNRWA firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that the centre is a United Nations facility protected under international law.
Saunders said the agency’s mandate comes directly from the United Nations General Assembly and that its role is to provide humanitarian and public services while the wider political dispute remains unresolved.
“We’re a humanitarian organisation, we’re a development organisation. We are given our mandate by the United Nations General Assembly to provide critical services,” Saunders said. He added that UNRWA would continue doing so “until the General Assembly decides otherwise, or there is a durable solution to the Palestine question”.
Saunders said UNRWA was doing what it could to protect its staff and facilities through security assessments, training and risk mitigation, but he ended by stressing the legal status of UN premises.
He said the use of force by the Israelis was ill-advised and that the only solution was through dialogue, stating: “I think it is long overdue for the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit down and to resolve these issues.”
“We’re not planning on going anywhere,” Saunders said, adding that the agency would continue providing critical services to Palestinian refugees.
A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessel on fire, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
Citing local authorities, UKMTO said the fire has since been put out and that all crew are “safe and accounted for,” with no reported environmental impact.
UKMTO WARNING 121-26
Click here to view the full product‵ïžhttps://t.co/DlSnmXJTOT#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/GYFdmmjcfY
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 27, 2026
Christian Saunders, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), says the Israeli government’s raid on the Qalandiya Training Centre is an attempt to “eliminate the presence of the United Nations” in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Saunders told Al Jazeera that while the raid displaced UNRWA employees, and left at least seven Palestinians injured by live ammunition, the broader goal is to make the refugee issue disappear.
“If UNRWA is defunded and eliminated, then they are hoping that the issue of the refugees, the Palestine refugees, will go away,” Saunders said, adding: “Which means that the right of return, reparations, and compensation would go away as well.”
Israeli forces seized the facility in the Kafr Aqab neighbourhood near occupied occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participating and declaring there was “no place for the agency in Jerusalem and Israel”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the evacuation as lawful under Israeli legislation and accused the agency of aiding Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attack.
Saunders expressed “disappointment” over the impact on local youth, noting that the facility previously provided essential education and training.
“340 young people are not going to get the education, not going to get the training they need,” Saunders said, stressing that the programme gives students “the skills and an opportunity to lead a full and dignified life”.
Israeli troops and settlers kept up a wave of arrests, military raids, property demolitions and land confiscations throughout the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.
Here are some of the reported incidents:
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
There’s a growing sense in Tehran tonight that diplomacy is gathering pace despite a broader agreement remaining some way off.
Today, Qatar’s foreign minister and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, is going to pay a visit to Tehran to meet with high-level Iranian officials.
The aim of the visit, as per the Qataris, is to de-escalate tensions and create a platform for dialogue.
This visit comes after a very busy week featuring visits from Pakistan’s army chief, followed by Oman’s foreign minister. Qatar hopes that all these discussions may create a platform for dialogue between Iran and the United States.
We heard Omani and Iranian officials saying that they agreed on a framework for a temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz, which is the most urgent problem in the region for now, alongside efforts to clear mines from the waterway.
Qatar expects these negotiations may open the way to resume talks between Tehran and Washington. However, these expectations should be measured as both sides have different points of view when it comes to communication.
Even so, this is an important development. After months of military confrontation, a diplomatic channel exists between these countries, though Iran points out that these talks shouldn’t be taken as a direct resumption of bilateral negotiations, as they are just talks with mediators.
These are the main differences between the US and Iran. There isn’t a big expectation for an imminent breakthrough in this conflict right now, but all parties hope that diplomacy builds a new platform for dialogue and, hopefully, for the resumption of formal negotiations.
Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, as well as Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
Stay with us for the latest news and analyses related to these conflicts.
You can find our updates from Thursday, August 26, here.
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